Aqib Rasheed
Back in 2021, I reviewed Sean Baker’s excellent Red Rocket and called it the “perfect blend of art-house auteurism and commercial cinema.” He took a tricky conceit—washed up porn star moves back in with his ex-wife and begins an illicit relationship—and infused it with comedy and stakes. It’s a travesty that the film didn’t catch heat during that awards season, given Simon Rex’s otherworldly central performance. But, anyone who’s seen the movie (especially with a packed crowd) knows it brought down the house multiple times and felt like you were watching a big studio comedy from the aughts. At the same time, the movie was saying something about American narcissism and class. Baker has this inherent ability to make entertaining films while having a profound message about the state of the world. After Red Rocket, I knew this was only the beginning for Baker and, boy, was I right.
Anora, Baker’s follow-up, is every bit the movie Red Rocket is and somehow better. Featuring a star-making and sensational performance by Mikey Madison, this movie is a full-blown masterpiece. It’s right up there with Dune: Part Two as best of the year and I’d be surprised if anything came close to these two at the top. A synergistic mix of the rom-comness of Pretty Woman, anxiety of Uncut Gems, and night-gone-wrongness of After Hours, Anora is an entertainer that will make you laugh throughout its runtime and punch you in the gut as you leave the theater in silence. Red Rocket didn’t make noise at award ceremonies; Anora will, perhaps all the way to Best Picture—it’s that good.
Anora (Madison), or Ani as she likes to be called, is a 23-year old stripper working in New York City who catches the eye of a young Russian Oligarch, Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). Ivan employs her services outside the strip club and asks her to be his girlfriend for a week. During that week, Ivan impulsively asks Anora to marry him and she says yes. The honeymoon period doesn’t last long because Ivan’s affluent parents catch word of this and send three goons to get the marriage annulled, whether Anora likes it or not.
Baker’s filmography has revolved around sex workers, starting with 2012’s Starlet. For a majority of us, we have preconceived notions about sex work and the people in the industry when, in actuality, none of really know what it’s like. His goal has been to humanize these people. And, Red Rocket showed that humanizing also means to show the dark side of some sex workers. This journey Baker is on doesn’t feel exploitative, his films feel well-researched and always made with a ton of input and opinions from sex workers. Our protagonist, Anora, is a hustler. She knows her worth and the value of her talent. From the moment she is introduced, we are charmed and smitted, just like her patrons. In the VIP room or private room—no matter how affluent the customer is—Anora holds all the power. However, as soon as she leaves the club, the power dynamic flips on its head. The reality of class settles in and social order is “restored.”But, what if Anora could experience that power she wields in the club outside it? Many men call her princess, but what if she could actually get the princess treatment? Enter Ivan who showers Anora with gifts, money, and great vibes. He takes her out of the club and turns her into Cinderella. It all seems too good to be true and, deep down, Anora knows that. She does her best to protect herself; at no point does she terminate the transactional nature of their relationship. In fact, she constantly ups what her time is worth (whether that be more money or more carats on a ring). But, when you get that taste of luxury, it’s hard to give it up. The best of us couldn’t say no to that life and Anora is no different. For once, she can ascend the social ladder rather than stay where she’s at.
The genius of Baker’s direction and writing is that I, a 24-year old male medical student, found myself relating to Anora. He clearly doesn’t understand the vilification and alienation of sex workers and has crafted a career where he tries to portray them in a way we see ourselves in his characters. We are all trying to make it work in this world and, for some reason, we’ve created barriers and walls that prevent us from social mobility, no matter how hard we work. This is not easy to do and Baker does it time and again with profoundness and thought. Moreover, he consistently packages these pressing themes in a palatable, often entertaining way.
The not-so-secret thing about Anora is that, at its core, it’s a slapstick rom-com a la Howard Hawks and a hilarious one at that. From the moment Eydelshteyn enters the screen, he and Madison light it ablaze. Their chemistry is crackling and their tête-à-tête had me swooning. Eydelshteyn plays Ivan with a perfect amount of immaturity and goofiness. Ivan says he’s 21, but his mannerisms and looks would have you think he’s younger, which is essential to the character. Conversely, Anora says she’s 23 but acts far more mature for her age. This dichotomy drives their relationship and adds immense depth to these characters. Many people have called Eydelshteyn the “Russian Timothèe Chalamet” but I could see him pulling from male leads from ‘30s and ‘40s screwball comedies, from his snappy and quirky line deliveries to doing physical comedy (a riotously funny somersault he does in bed should automatically garner him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor).
The first act culminates in a Las Vegas sequence where Ivan pays Anora to fly out with him and his friends for a week of drinking, gambling, and great times. The montages that roll out of all of them having the best time in Vegas felt euphoric to watch. On the last night, Ivan and Anora talk in bed and Baker and cinematographer Drew Daniels expertly shoot this scene by having the camera slowly revolve around the bed as we anticipate the question we know Ivan is going to ask Anora. It’s a tender, funny, and sweet moment that makes you feel like you are floating in the air. However, this is where Pretty Woman ends and Uncut Gems and After Hours begins.
Three goons, Toros (Karren Karaguilan), Igor (Yura Borisov), and Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan), enter the movie to put an end to all of this. And, folks, this is where we get the show-stopping sequence of the movie: a 27-minute interrogation/home invasion/runaway scene full of hilarious lines and physical comedy that is a clear and effective nod to the slapstick comedies Baker grew up watching. This scene had the sold-out crowd at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago in splits, clapping, and in awe of what they were seeing. Even the funniest movies of the past 10-15 years haven’t gone to these lengths. Every time you felt the scene was coming to an end, another gag would happen and keep the scene alive. A lot of the credit goes to the three goons who take every hit, slap, punch, and even bite that gets thrown at them and they all fully commit to the bit. Madison, likewise, is game for anything and gives this scene 100%. This scene is the perfect example of how, despite the heavy topics, Baker tries to make a crowd-pleasing movie. I can’t imagine anyone watching this scene and not having their core hurt from laughing so much. Tovmasyan deserves a ton of credit in this scene, since he probably takes the most damage and delivers funny line after line. Karagulian, a Baker staple, is on the phone for a majority of the scene but his reaction to everything happening in the house is as funny as the actual fighting.
Outside of these two, Eydelshteyn, and Madison (more on her shortly), Borisov jumped off the screen as a presence. He largely stays in the background, but his non-verbal acting—the way he looks at and stands around Anora—tells us so much about him. He has a natural deadpan comedic delivery which works to great effect. I was immensely impressed with his performance and would love to see his name come up during awards season with everyone else.
Baker’s writing is full of rib-tickling lines, even when the language seamlessly transitions to Russian at times. I highlighted cinematographer Daniels earlier but this is a gorgeous looking movie. The use of neon lights at various strip clubs is stunning and reminded me of the color palette of Uncut Gems. Baker’s use of music is, yet again, perfect and using Take That’s “Greatest Day (Robin Schulz Rework)” as the movie’s ostensible theme song fits its energy to a tee.
I waited till the end to talk about Madison’s luminous performance as Anora because it is, without a doubt, the performance of the year. It is not sufficient to say Madison, who many will remember from being burnt alive in both Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Scream (2022), plays Anora—she is Anora. Anora is her. Madison sinks into the role and completely transforms into this enigmatic character. She nails the Brooklyn accent and has gone in depth about doing her homework about playing a stripper. But, it’s not about how many times Madison practiced on a pole to learn how to dance as Anora. It’s the way she imbues Anora with so much vivaciousness and life that stands out. It would’ve been easy to portray her as an annoying and scheming person but Madison doesn’t let that happen. Anora feels like a real person because that’s how Madison plays it. This is someone we could know or already know. Madison’s line deliveries are golden and it’s safe to say she has mastered the way of saying motherf*cker. Anora’s confidence and joy are on display in the first half of the movie, but the story takes a sharp turn in the second half.
As Anora embarks on a search mission with the goons, the joy she had of being on the top slowly fades away. Her confidence, though, is unwavering. She doesn’t let the severity of the situation affect her nor does she let it change what she’s worth to herself. Anora finds herself in the night from hell, going from place to place looking for Ivan. We see reality set in real time for her, but we, as the audience, simultaneously see how she plans to get out of this situation. None of this is articulated but Madison’s impeccable acting with her eyes do the heavy lifting. Remember, Anora is a striver and she will stop at no cost to get what she wants. By the time the memorable last scene rolls around, nothing can really prepare you for what is to come but I’ll all say is Madison puts her heart into it. She does some unforgettable acting that will stay with you long after you leave the theater, most likely in silence.
Not to quote another one of my previous reviews, but while watching Licorice Pizza, I said that a movie like that was a testament to how magical the movies can be and reaffirmed my love for cinema. I feel the same way about Anora. The moment it ended, all I wanted to do was start it over and watch it again. And again. And again. It’s a total blast that should be watched with the biggest crowd. If you miss screwball comedies, Anora for you. If you’re a fan of Pretty Woman, watch Anora. If Uncut Gems and After Hours is up your alley, then Anora should be at the top of your watchlist.
When Baker and Madison elevate to A-list status, we’ll look back at Anora at what got them there. This is a special and transcendent film, just like Anora herself.
